As of Tuesday afternoon Rivers said that Perkins might be able to make the team’s flight to Miami where the Celtics will play the Heat Wednesday night. House will almost certainly not make it.

“They’re home in bed,” Rivers said. “They’re both sick. Perk has the flu. Eddie has the flu. Right now it sounds like Perk is going to be able to get on the flight and I don’t think Eddie’s going to make the trip. This year especially the league has really impressed upon us that if a guy has a fever he has to stay away from the team. I agree with it, but that’s what we have to do. Perk’s feeling better. They’re not sure if its food poisoning or the flu, whereas with Eddie there’s no doubt that it’s the flu.”

WALTHAM — It is one the great paradoxes of Tony Allen’s career that his biggest problem –besides staying healthy — is turnovers, while his greatest strength is his versatility, which allows him to play multiple positions including, yes, point guard.

When Allen returned from his latest ankle ailment, Doc Rivers tried to make things simple, telling him to cut down on his turnovers and focus on playing defense. That was it. Now with Rajon Rondo hobbled by a hamstring injury, Allen is taking over the reins at the point where he will handle the ball much more than he did before and where things get decidedly more complicated.

One of Rivers great strengths as a game coach is putting his players in a position to succeed, and to that end he had Ray Allen bring the ball up the floor against the Raptors on occasion. But with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett also out of the lineup, Rivers can’t afford to have his best scoring option get bogged down in running the team, so the job falls to Tony Allen. It is, as he said, a learning experience. Read the rest of this entry »

WALTHAM — Since rejoining the Celtics lineup for their Christmas Day game against the Magic, Glen Davis has given the Celtics energy and hustle. Last Saturday against the Raptors, Davis gave them something else. In his longest outing of the season — 20 minutes — Davis scored 15 points to go with five rebounds and helped turn the game in the Celtics favor.

It was his best outing since returning from the broken thumb that cost him the first 27 games of the season, and his first since spraining his ankle against Golden State. Despite the bumps and bruises, Davis has played fearlessly, almost recklessly, even with his thumb still supported by a wrap.”I wouldn’t play if I was limited,” he said. “I’ve got a couple of bumps and bruises here, but I’ll be all right.”

Davis has a lot to prove. He knows that and so do his Celtics teammates, but they are solidly in his corner.

“Baby wants it,” Kendrick Perkins said. “He was anxious to play. He came back from the summer this preseason and he was playing great. Unfortunately he had to go out with the injury he had, but I think he’s ready to play. It’s a great situation for him to get his rhythm back and prove to Doc [Rivers] that he’s ready and he’s going to help us win.”

Davis helped make a name for himself last season when he stepped in for Kevin Garnett and made some memorable shots during the playoffs. His ability to step out and knock down the 18-foot jumper fits right in with the Celtics system, but he also provides a low post player who can, and will, take the ball strong to the basket.

Now that he’s back on the court, the next step for Davis is developing consistency as a 15-20 minute a night performer. That will take some time, but he appears to be on the right track.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time going as hard as possible, making sure I’m doing what I have to do,” Davis said. “I’m not worrying about other things. I’m not worried about things I can’t control.”

Rondo [left hamstring], Pierce and Garnett [both right knees] were all observers again on Monday as Tony Allen, J.R. Giddens and Rasheed Wallace filled in during practice.

“Practice was good and bad,” said Tom Thibodeau, who was filling in for Doc Rivers. “Normally, coming off a day off, it’s a little sloppy but the intensity was good and the intentions were good.”

Read between those lines and the man who ran practice for Rivers on Monday was trying to be kind to the healthy players who are trying to get ready for Miami without Garnett and possibly Rondo and Pierce missing again.

The coaching staff will gather with the players and trainer Ed Lacerte on Tuesday before their flight to Miami and make a determination if it’s even worth traveling the players.

“I didn’t talk to Eddie today,” Thibodeau said. “[Rondo] came out and coaching and involved and he’s chomping at the bit. I assume he’s feeling better but I don’t know that he’s ready yet.

“Paul was moving around and did some shooting and things like that. He’s feeling pretty good. He’s improving day by day.”

Meanwhile, Garnett was spotted lifting weights and conditioning while he recovers from a sore right knee that has him like out another week.

Rasheed Wallace has been around the NBA long enough to know not to get discouraged even when times look most bleak.

Another valuable lesson was taught Saturday night and it was Wallace and the Celtics schooling the Toronto Raptors, making the visitors North of the border look woefully unprepared for the woefully undermanned Celtics. Even without Paul Pierce [right knee], Kevin Garnett [right knee] and Rajon Rondo [left hamstring], the Celtics led virtually from the beginning of the game.

Here’s a sample of what Wallace and Celtics coach Doc Rivers had to say after they snapped a three-game skid with a 103-96 win over the Raptors.